Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Just Say No to Xbox’s Natal

I’ve been a gamer for many years. I got my earliest sore wrists and blistered fingers courtesy of the games on the Commodore 64/128, which is like caveman gaming compared to today’s systems. And I usually welcome and look forward to what comes next for the gaming world; until now. Xbox has hit a nerve with the announcement and introduction of Natal at E3.

For those of you not in the gaming world I’ll give a brief description of what Natal is. Natal is essential a device that will recognize the Xbox user through a camera and will in-turn make the user the control for the system for everything. And while techno-geeks are drooling worldwide at this idea, I am fuming like a volcano.

You see Natal was demonstrated at E3 and designed to be operated by a healthy individual who has no physical limitations. And I am a disabled gamer with limited mobility, like dozens of other disabled gamers, sense yet another part of society forgetting that we are here and part of society. And how many disabled individuals use video games as a means to take part in activities that the disability does not allow them to do in real life. For example; I was always fascinated an intrigued by skateboarding as a kid but because I need a wheelchair meant I could forget about skateboarding. That was until the Tony Hawk series of games was released and, albeit a simulation through, I was able to take part in something I had always wanted to do.

Now I know; but the Wii is motion sensing and isn’t Sony doing their own motion sensing device why are you attacking them? Simple answer is that those are motion sensor gaming through a remote device that in some cases re-act with the slightest flick of the wrist or a simple point and click. Xbox is essential saying with Natal that they could care less about individuals with disabilities or physical limitations. And the last time I checked such an act is against a little piece of legislature known as the American with Disabilities Act which calls for fair and equal treatment of individuals with disabilities. And based on demonstrations of Natal seen at E3 and leaked by gaming companies it’s safe to say that Natal does not treat the disabled gamer fairly and equally by design.

I ask that everyone help spread the word about this in order to get Xbox to rethink and redesign Natal to take all games, healthy and disabled, into consideration. And in the coming weeks and months I will be trying to contact Xbox in the hopes of getting this issue handled. I’ll have updates on this as they happen.

Mongrel LIVE August 1st

Saturday (August 1st) Mongrel is playing a benefit show for the Children's Tumor Foundation at Uncle Eddies right on Salisbury Beach (4 Ocean Front North) in Salisbury, MA. show is ALL AGES, free for 18 and under, suggested donation is $10. there's also food, a bike wash, a motorcycle run, and lots of other bands so please support this great cause and come out to the show.

due to some circumstances beyond our control and shows getting postponed/cancelled this is our last confirmed show until September 5th (New Wave Cafe in Bedford MA) so don't miss out !! yes, this does mean that the RI show this friday, Beverly MA on the 8th and the Jim Rose Show on the 15th have been postponed and we will let you know as soon as we have more info. as always, the most up to date schedule can be found at www.myspace.com/Mongrel

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Jamie of AREA 44 sings with KILLCODE

You know it! The uber-talented, rockin' boyz of :::KILLCODE::: have asked me to sing back-up vocals with them at their unplugged gig at Corio, this TUESDAY, 7/28! How fckn cool is THAT??? And it's FREE!!! We hit the stage at midnight, but definitely come early to hang with me, the fellas, and catch some of the other bands that are playing the last Undone @ Corio gig.

It's gonna be a super fun night, and it's my debut singing with :::KILLCODE:::, so I want to see y'all there. But if you can't make it, please log onto www.nycliverock.com to watch live online.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

In the iPhone We iTrust

So yours truly has been using the new Apple iPhone 3G S for 3 weeks now and I feel absolutely stupid for hating on the iPhone for so long. Now I had my reason and it was so logical even AT&T sales people agreed. For those of you not in the know, the previous version had a maximum hard drive of 16GB and cost $300 which financial was a joke when you could buy a 30GB iPod for $250 and get a decent phone from any carrier for at least $50 with research. But as with evolution of any kind, advances come in time.

The latest version has a maximum 32GB memory for $300 with a 2-year contract of course, and for those of you who know my love of music you know that I bought this model. But it wasn’t just the financial sense of the newest iPhone that sold me on it at first.

I had all intentions of upgrading to the Blackberry Bold even after I heard the specs on the iPhone 3G S. However it all comes down to me being able to physically use the phone with ease. When I got to the AT&T store I first went to the Blackberry Bold but after a quick look and attempt to use it came down to the buttons being too small. At which point I decided to check out the iPhone. And from the simple fact that even the lightest touch accessed the phone or whatever application you want, sold me on the iPhone. Of course my dumb luck the store was out of the 32GB version and I had to go to the Apple store that was upstairs in the mall to get it, after waiting online for an hour.

And from that moment I became what my brother’s fiancĂ© calls an iWhore. Why am I an iWhore you ask? The answer is simple; it’s that easy to check things in seconds. I immediately downloaded the Facebook, MySpace and Twitter apps and check them all as soon as I get up in the morning. Plus I have access to ALL my e-mails in a touch of a screen. And truth be told unless I want to write a blog or do some other things online, I just run everything through my iPhone. Oh but give me time before I have those things setup on my iPhone if possible.

Now I may be an iWhore but I do have a few issues with the iPhone. First is the fact that you can’t really run multiple applications on it. Yes you can listen to music while doing things like check your mail, play games, or check your social network AND if you use the headset for the phone you can check your mail, and etc. but that’s it. Checking Twitter and you get a text; choose between hitting reply and close Twitter or whatever application your in or ignore the text and go to it when your done. Now you can Jailbreak your iPhone to be able to multi-task but it’s not worth voiding your warranty or worse wrecking for phone to do it.

My other issue is battery life. Yes it has the capability of 30 hours of music play and 10 hours of Wi-Fi internet use but people are utilizing ALL this device has to offer and the battery can drain quicker than you know it. So until they get a longer battery on the iPhone I suggest getting a car charger kit and possibly carrying the USB wire with you so you can charge at any computer if your going to use the iPhone constantly.

Otherwise yours truly is loving his iPhone and will gladly let you call me an iWhore. And for those of you still wondering I say this, my mother had a Motorola Razor for years and swore she’d only upgrade when it was necessary. Well she now has an iPhone, enough said.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Help Core Effect win $10,000!

We need your help to win the 89X $10,000 Battle!!! This is the "FINAL" for all the marbles!



Come out to TNT’s this coming Thursday, July 23rd where the 89X "I'm with the band" $10,000 Battle will be decided by a Live Performance where 6 bands will perform for the Grand Prize! Votes at the door and audience participation are most important for us to pull off the win!!! So wear your Core Effect apparel and come prepared to rock out with us!



Online voting starts TODAY at noon!!! If you can't make it to the show then be sure to place an online vote for Core Effect by visiting http://www.myspace.com/89ximwiththeband

You can vote once every Day (every 24 hours from your previous vote per ip address) until Noon on Thursday July 23rd



Thanks so much!





--Show information--

TNT's (89X I'm with the band FINAL)

35101 Harper Avenue, just north of 15 Mile

Clinton Township

Ages 18+

Show starts @ 9:00pm

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Vote for RUSTMINE

From RUSTMINE:

We really appreciate this because it will enable Rustmine to get some National exposure on MTV2. (We are broke, so we need every little bit of exposure we can get! HAHA!) If not, I will have to take my shirt off and get on the show "Cops!" and nobody wants that..
You can also go to www.RUSTMINE.com and vote in our "News" section.
Thanks for your time!


Copy and paste this link below to your browser and go to it to vote:


http://www.ourstage.com/play/track/FRZJXHWBSWDS-rustmine-self-destruct

Dame Fortune Live August 24th

Monday August 24th at 9:30 PM @ The Key Club we'll be playing with the mighty Steel Panther, who for those of you who don't know,
are one of the most entertaining live bands you'll ever see. In addition to being great musicians and excellent performers, they are all also
hilarious comedians, and their affectionate parody of 80's metal, ensures that the Key Club is packed every Monday night with a crowd
most places would kill for on a Saturday! We have 50 free spots on the guest list, so the first 50 people to respond to this e-mail or call our
hotline @213-840-3333 and give us their names will get in FREE. After that, we'll have a limited number of discount tickets for 10 bucks each,
and admission is 20.00 at the door. This show is 18 and over.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Maria Kizirian launches More Than A Man website

Hey ladies – do you have a really great guy? If yes, and I HOPE you answered yes, Maria Kizirian has just started a new web site where we women can go brag about our guys.

Go check out http://www.hesmorethanaman.com

Write your story, and also link it to your Facebook or MySpace.

The SOLE purpose of this site is to start a groundswell of appreciation for the great guys that exist all over, but seldom are recognized for what they do.

For the women out there who think that there are no good men left – seeing a site of great guys being touted will give them hope that they don’t have to settle with their idiot BFs.

Pictures of couples whose stories are on the site will be used in the upcoming music video for the theme song, “More Than a Man.”

Since you are lucky enough to have a “more than a man,” go visit this site, and brag about him, and bring all your girlfriends!

Photobucket

Gene Simmons' Message on NEW KISS ALBUM

BEST KISS ALBUM IN 30 YEARS!

Our new album (title of which you'll just have to wait a bit longer for) is just a few steps from being completely done. We're planning on re-visiting one of the eleven songs, to make sure it's gotten everything it deserves. Maybe re-arranging it one last time. Then, time to mix.

The entire writing and recording process of the album harkened back to an earlier, more innocent time. A time that produced albums such as ROCK AND ROLL OVER and LOVE GUN. And, the new songs have that feeling, I have to say.

It all started with a point of view Paul had. The view had to do with ignoring the times, ignoring the critics, not over thinking who and what we are...and that we had nothing to prove to anyone....nothing. We have been releasing albums and touring for 35 years and why wouldn't we want to do an "honest" record. Just do it!!! And, he wanted to produce the album himself!!!

While it's true in the past we had produced KISS records together. And we had both produced other acts outside of KISS. But here was Paul saying he wanted to shoulder the responsibility and burden of steering the good ship KISS on his own.

He was serious. And, I saw it was real. I saw the commitment he was going to make to the album and the band... and I agreed. We all trusted each other and saw the same vision of the band...and perhaps democracy is overrated...and sooner or later, someone had to decide.

And I will tell you here and now, he's done a great job.

The process of writing songs involved both writing separately, but often, in hotel rooms and rehearsal halls, literally starting from scratch and throwing riffs and chords at each other. Then working on melody and lyric...starting alone, then bringing it into the rehearsal halls and even during recording, we would often critique the lyrics all the way down to the last minute.

Tommy really stepped up in the songwriting area....co-wrote some songs with us and actually sings his first song on a KISS album.

Eric, likewise was always encouraging and of course, provided his always dependable bombastic drumming style. But unlike other drummers, Eric is also a great singer. Wait until you hear him tear it up on his lead vocal.

What else, you ask?

Well, Paul and I trade vocals on a few tunes and had a lot to say about each other's songs...

Result? Maybe the best record we've done in 30 years.

Bold statement? You bet.

Wait till you hear it.

GENE



I'm glad to see KISS, my all-time favorite band, getting back to basics for their upcoming studio album. While deep down I wish that it had Ace and Peter on it I am confident in both Tommy and Eric being true to what KISS is all about. Hopefully we don't have to wait too much longer for this album's release and trust that yours truly will have his copy the day of or within days of its release.

Friday, July 3, 2009

A Message from Twisted Sister

Friday, July 3

On the evening of July 2nd, we learned the entire inventory of Disc 1 of Twisted Sister's Stay Hungry 25th Anniversary set has an audio problem. We had originally been told it was limited to a few thousand and had posted a message to our fans immediately as to how to exchange for a replacement CD.

Rhino Records will replace Disc One from the set you purchased. BEGINNING MONDAY MORNING, JULY 6, 10am Pacific Time, please email Dr. Rhino (Dr...Rhino@rhino.com) with TWISTED SISTER as the subject line. You will receive an email back with this message:

Dear Twisted Sister Fan,

Thank you for your email and we apologize for the poor sound on disc one of the Stay Hungry reissue. We currently have corrected replacement discs available. Please reply to this message with your name, shipping address and a digital photo of your disc and/or packaging. If available, please include your receipt in the photo.

Upon receipt of your email, we will send you a replacement disc as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have any
questions, please let me know.

Dr. Rhino

PLEASE NOTE: because each email will be each answered individually, UNTIL THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND IS OVER, you will get a message that says this: Dr. Rhino is currently out of the office and will return on Monday, July 6th. Happy 4th of July!

We have also been told that iTunes purchasers may also experience audio difficulties, again, on Disc 1 only. Please email Dr. Rhino for further instructions for credit exchange by putting Twisted Sister iTunes in the subject line.

If you are limited in your technology and cannot send through a scan/snapshot from your phone, camera, etc. of your CD cover and/or receipt, please be prepared to mail a xerox copy of your receipt to Rhino. Again, as each exchange will be handled personally by a Rhino employee, each request will be dealt with personally. Your replacement disc, in a plain slip sleeve will be mailed to you ASAP.

A personal message from Jay Jay:
Twisted Sister fans are among the most dedicated fans in the world. Everything we have ever done has been focused on giving to you, our fans, the highest levels of concert experiences and recorded product. We go to great lengths to produce CDs and DVDs with the sole intent of making our fans happy and proud to say that they are part of the Twisted Sister family.

We spent a full year (and 24 previous years) working towards our ‘Stay Hungry’ reissue. Our goal was to create a truly special event with fan ownership of this package.

To say that the band is upset and disappointed would be the understatement of the year. Please know that we are working through the weekend with Rhino to address this problem.

Ending on a positive Twisted note, please enjoy your holiday weekend. For you overseas fans, simply enjoy your weekend.

Before you leave your computer today, we hope that you’ll click and enjoy our new video for the song, “30,” as much as we enjoyed making it. http:../../..new...music...yahoo...com/..videos/..--217250355

Our dedication to you and your continued support of Twisted Sister continue to be our only focus.
Jay Jay French

Twisted Sister on iLike - Add iLike to your MySpace

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Update on Jay Scorpion

Jay is still in the hospital but ALL infections are gone. The next step is getting him off the vent. It is being lowered a bit everyday so he is breathing more on his own everyday. Hopefully we get him off it and home soon.

If anyone would like to visit him just shoot me a message or e-mail me at TurboPromotions@gmail.com and tell me how you know him and I'll try to get you the information to visit him.

Thanks for the support, he really appreciates it and it's helped him through this rough time.